It had been a few months, and Madara had been suffering from some sorta illness, though she had made a good attempt at keeping it a secret from her team. After all, in this world, to be ill would mean to be abandoned, and Madara was afraid of being left alone.
Though, she had done some secret research into the symptoms during the times they were safe, inside a place barricaded against the mutated beasts that lurked out in the wasteland.
And when it finally clicked, it proved to be something that she just could not hide anymore.
"Hashirama...?" The Uchiha approached the team leader, playing with her hair nervously, keeping her onyx gaze on him. "I need to talk to you about something..."
The brunette looked up from cleaning up his weapons. "What is it, Mada-chan?" He tilted his head to the side, wondering why the young woman appeared to be so nervous. Though, he wondered if it had something to do with her recent illness.
Madara appeared to be quite ill, though she had tried to hide it from him, and the others in the group. Though, he had only ever caught her throwing up in the mornings, never usually any other times.
There were also occasional dizzy spells and the Uchiha's guarding of her stomach and chest, along with a sudden increase in appetite and cravings for sugary foods.
Hashirama knew something was up the moment she had started going for such things. Madara had always hated sweet foods. Hashirama had also noted that Madara did seem rather put off by food she usually loved.
The Senju waited for Madara to speak again, continuing to work on cleaning the various weapons that were laid across the desk, listening to whatever Madara was saying. He picked up a glass of water, taking a few sips of it.
"Hashirama… I'm pregnant."
Hashirama dropped the glass, water spilling out. He stared at the other, his dark eyes wide. "W-what?" He managed to gasp out. Madara shifted nervously, glancing away and quietly repeating what she had said.
Hashirama shook his head slowly, standing up quickly and taking the few steps that had distanced him from his lover. "How? This has got to be a mistake… With this radiation, conception shouldn't be possible…"
"I don't know how this happened!" Madara cried out in response, hands gripping at her hair. Hashirama sat her at the desk, gently moving his hands over her stomach and chest. The Uchiha remained still, biting her lip. Before the start of the Apocalypse, he had been a doctor. She was just waiting for him to confirm what she already knew.
"When was your last period, Madara?" Hashirama asked calmly. He was still in disbelief, but the signs were there. He just needed this one last piece of information to confirm it.
"Around… three months ago," She responded calmly, afraid of what Hashirama's response would be to this. Hashirama sighed, running a hand through his hair. It was indeed confirmed.
Madara was pregnant.
The Uchiha's voice shook a little as she looked to the brunette, who had remained silent since starting to check her over. The silence had started to make her nervous again, and she had reached for the other's hand. "Hashirama…?" Tanned arms pulled the Uchiha closer, holding onto her gently.
"Hey, hey don't worry, Madara," Hashirama whispered. He gently rubbed the girl's back before moving back to look at her with a smile.
The shock and confusion of the news of pregnancy had left the Senju's mind momentarily, replaced by a sense of elation. The child that was growing inside of Madara was his. It had to be, if she was informing him of it before revealing it to the rest of the group.
Madara relaxed in the other's hold, comforted by the fact that the other wasn't mad at her, or pushing her away. Though, maybe Hashirama wouldn't think too much of it until she actually started to show, and to tire from the later stages of pregnancy, she thought. A fresh sense of fear washed over her, and she gripped at the front of the other's shirt.
"Madara? What's wrong?" Hashirama looked down at his lover, concerned. He gently rubbed her back.
Madara shook her head slowly, burying her face in the Senju's shoulder. Hashirama held onto her, whispering soothingly into her ear. After a while, he had managed to coax Madara to look up at him, gently brushing the Uchiha's hair from her eyes and meeting her onyx gaze.
"Madara, it's okay," He responded calmly, smiling lightly. Madara just nodded slowly, though she avoided the other's gaze. "But what about when I get further along…?" She asked with a whisper. "I'll slow the group down… I could get us all killed or worse…!"
Hashirama shook his head, holding her arms. "Madara, listen to me. No matter what, you are not going to slow us down. And no matter what, I will protect you, whether from mutants or from the other group members."
Madara opened her mouth to protest, and the Senju took the opportunity to press his lips to the Uchiha's, to quiet her. Hashirama smiled gently as he pulled away, chuckling at the awestruck look on his lover's face.
"You know why?" Madara just tilted her head to the side at Hashirama's question. "Um... no?" The Senju continued to speak, kissing her forehead. "I love you, Madara. And no matter what, you are a strong person, and I know we will get through this. All of us. You, me, the child and our comrades."
A light rose tint covered the Uchiha's pale cheeks and she glanced away. Hashirama took the Uchiha's chin, tilting his head up slightly, studying the other's features, before gently kissing the tip of Madara's nose.
Madara's eyes filled with tears. "Hashirama…" She was cut off as the other kissed her again. "Mada-chan, it's okay." The Senju smiled brightly, putting his hands to the other's hips, gently rubbing circles into them.
"We will get through this alive. I promise."